Test of Time
by hearthandhomeauthor
Summary: With the weeks closing in on Carlos and Katheryn's big day, nobody is prepared for the test they are about to be put through when one of their own is snatched from them ruthlessly. Will Trent, Carlos, and Katheryn seek revenge or keep their heads in the game? / Legacy of Thunder series no. 23
1. Chapter 1

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**TEST OF TIME**

**Chapter One**

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"You guys, thank you so much for coming with me to do this."

Katheryn relinquished her hold on the dress catalog she was holding and wrapped each one of her friends in a hug.

"Oh, you know we wouldn't have missed it for anything," Molly reassured, holding her best friend so tightly. She released her in order to get a view of her in the dress she currently wore and nearly let a tear escape. "You look so beautiful, Kath! It's perfect. I can't believe the wedding is in just a few months."

"Me neither," Kath laughed. "Time is flying by. But between us, I wish we could elope still."

Alex shined over Katheryn with a smile and another hug. "You are going to make a gorgeous bride. And we'll all be there with you every step of the way."

Katheryn was the one to choke back tears of joy this time. "Oh, I love you guys so much!" She did her best to bring everybody into the hug. But no matter if she could or not, Sydney and Kim were right there behind her, surrounding her with as much love as she could handle.

As soon as the moment was over, Katheryn returned to the dressing room of the bridal shop to change clothes. She hesitated to hand over the dress she would wear on her wedding day to the workers there. Yet she knew they would take great care in packaging it for her to take home. However, she lingered in front of the mirror, observing the edges and crevices, mostly thinking about the next day she would be wearing it.

Katheryn's mind drifted to the church and Carlos standing there at the altar with Reverend Jones. She could see Molly taking her bouquet and her stepping up to lock eyes with the man she was about to vow her life to. It made her want to cry and smile and cry some more. But she sniffed hard and wiped at the tears. This time she thought about the rest of the day… the evening. The honeymoon! She blushed with excitement, anticipating their plans. It was not the typical honeymoon. But it was her dream. And she was thrilled that they had made their reservations in time before all the staterooms were booked up.

A light shuffling outside startled the bride-to-be and she set to work unzipping the dress the best she could, calling out a quick "I'll be right out" to the person on the other side. But that person was Molly. And a sister had to help during such an important time. The two ladies donned smiles at each other before Kath surrendered the zipper to Molly in an aggravated huff.

Molly had just about freed her from the dress when she noticed a streak in Kath's makeup. "Everything okay?"

Katheryn nodded quickly, stepping out of the dress and handing it carefully to her maid of honor. "Oh, yeah. I—I um…I'm just overwhelmed that's all… with happiness. I haven't had a moment to simply take it all in. But it all just seemed to hit me at once."

"Oh, Kath," Molly smiled. "I couldn't be happier for you and Carlos. It will be springtime before you know it. I'm going to miss you so much."

"Don't worry, Molly. It's not like I'm moving across the country. Carlos' apartment is only about ten minutes away from ours."

"True. But you and I both know you'll be too caught up in the bliss of marriage to pay any attention to your old friends."

Katheryn laughed. "Surely you don't believe that! But…I will admit we might be scarce for a few weeks at least." Molly joined in her laughter.

"What's keeping you two in here?" Sydney questioned with a raised eyebrow, sticking her head in between the curtains.

"Nothing," Molly lied, in twinkle in her eyes as she winked. "Just prepping my best friend up for the biggest day of her life is all." She dove in for a close embrace. "I've gotta get going. I'm having lunch with a lady who is helping raise funds at a function for the H.O.P.E. center in a few weeks.

"Okay," Kath replied as she released Molly. "Stay safe."

Sydney crouched in closer to Katheryn as Molly left. "She seems so happy to be taking on more responsibilities at the center. You don't regret letting her take your position while you focus on the wedding, do you?"

"No," Kath shook her head. "Not at all. I'm always going to be there to help Alex and Josie out whenever they need me. But I have to think of my own future in more than one way. I miss being an investigator to be honest." She paused, thinking carefully about what she was about to reveal. "I, um, I've actually decided to pursue that full time. I'm going to complete the college courses and my certification… anything I have to do to become a private investigator for real. I think it's time I give that all my focus."

Sydney's jaw dropped, and her eyes went wide, her arms bringing her friend into a congratulatory hug. "Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you! You are going to make a terrific PI."

"Aw thanks," Kath beamed. "I hope you're right. You're the first to know. I haven't even told Trent or Carlos yet actually."

"Katheryn! You have to tell them. They will be so happy for you."

"I hope you're right. I'm sure Carlos will worry about me though."

"Kath," Sydney took her hands firmly. "Carlos Sandoval knows you well enough by now to know how much you love being out there with them solving cases. He would be a fool not to realize what an asset he has by his side in the form of his wife. And don't you ever let him forget that."

"I won't," Katheryn beamed. "Now, let's get out of here! We've got wedding plans to make."

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The shimmering sunlight on the pavement, bouncing through the crisp, afternoon air sent a bit of nostalgia through Molly's delicate frame. She was still reflective and couldn't hide her smile as she pictured her best friend walking down the aisle.

Approaching her vehicle, she broke through her pensive state long enough to fumble inside her purse for her keys and then glance up. She almost wanted to ignore the piece of paper flapping in the wind but then felt a bit guilty as she imagined a few young girls walking through the cold to put advertisements on people's windshields so that their family's small business would have a chance to thrive.

Putting her purse and keys on the driver's seat of her vehicle, Molly left the door open and circled the door to retrieve the flyer. She smiled at the lovely calligraphy and gave the item a sniff. It was a perfume sample from a local boutique. After reflecting on how unique the idea was she gave it one more smell and then hopped inside her vehicle, tossing the item into her purse with an absentminded idea to make an effort to check out the store someday soon.

Molly turned on the radio to her favorite oldies channel and proceeded carefully from the parking lot. Suddenly she began to feel a bit light-headed. A slight throb in her temple reminded her she had not eaten in quite a while. She noticed a coffee shop up ahead and purposed to stop and grab a pastry to last her until after her meeting.

But no longer had she pulled to a stop in the parking lot than her head began to pound even harder. She rubbed at it hopelessly, slowly feeling her entire body beginning to go numb. It was as if she was leaving her body…slowly slipping into a deep unconscious state. Then she took a deep breath before everything turned black, her body slumping over the steering wheel with a haunting finality.

As if on cue, the door of the driver's side was opened, and a pair of strong arms removed Molly from the vehicle. "There there, honey. You're going to be okay."

"Oh my word!" A lady nearby exclaimed and rushed over. "Is she okay, mister? Is there anything I can do?"

"No no, everything is okay," the man reassured her. "I'm taking her to the hospital with my car. She has these spells every so often. But thank you for your concern, ma'am."

"I'll pray for you both."

"Thank you so much. I really must get going."

"Of course, young man! You go get your lady feeling better!"

Molly was hoisted up into the man's arms and carried across the parking lot to a beige SUV. The right backseat passenger door flew open and the man carefully but quickly climbed aboard and planted his prize next to him on the seat in the middle. The vehicle sped away as carefully as possible as not to be detected or suspected of anything.

"Nice performance, Jenks," the driver winked into the rear-view mirror.

"Thanks, boss. But that was way too close for my comfort. I'm used to breaking into safes and creating the potions. Not actually being on the street."

"No matter," the man called "boss" replied with a smile. "You did great. We couldn't take a chance with being recognized. You're the face no one knows. The behind the scenes guy. You did great."

"Thanks," Jenks beamed. "I just hope your plan pays off."

"Oh, it will, Jenks. Believe me. It will."


	2. Chapter 2

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**TEST OF TIME**

**Chapter Two**

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"What were you thinking?"

"I guess I wasn't," Carlos shrugged, rolling his eyes away from his best friend.

"Kath has not stopped talking about it for weeks. She'll kill you."

"Hey! In my defense I missed it by an hour. It's not like I waited a month to reserve our room. I missed it by an hour, Trent. An hour!"

Trent laughed off the moment with a swig of his drink, casting a glance up at the clock on the wall over CD's bar. "Well, if we don't get a move on our tuxes, I know Molly will be on our case."

"Yeah, Kath wouldn't care if we wore jeans to the wedding. But Molly wants everything to be perfect."

"To be honest, man, I was a bit surprised though when Kath started getting into the wedding prep a little more than she has over the past few months. She's really looking forward to it."

Carlos couldn't hide a toothy grin. "Hey, speaking of Molly, I thought she was going to meet us here to discuss something super top secret. She told me on the phone she gave Kath some excuse about a H.O.P.E. center event she knew she wouldn't be asking questions about."

"I know. I keep watching the clock. It's not like her to be late. I'm gonna use CD's phone. Be right back."

Trent returned several minutes later, reporting there was no answer at the H.O.P.E. center or Kath's apartment. It made sense though. Kath was supposed to be hanging out with Sydney at her place working on a few wedding preparations. With a hopeful thought that maybe Molly had changed plans to be with the girls, Trent dialed Sydney's apartment. Sydney was just as concerned about Molly now that Trent was worried. And as soon as Katheryn heard, everyone agreed something wasn't quite right.

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Once Sydney had put out an APB on Molly's vehicle, it wasn't long before Trent, Carlos, and Katheryn converged on the scene where they found the car empty and desolate. Trent found her purse untouched with everything she usually carried still inside. No credit cards or cash was missing. Her keys were still in the ignition with the engine turned off. And Carlos confirmed there was no evidence of forced entry or burglary.

"This doesn't make any sense," Trent said what they all were thinking as he sat on the nearest curb, bringing his head into his hands. The reality of what was going on began to truly sink in.

Katheryn came and sat down next to him, leaving Carlos to continue investigating the scene. "I don't have a good feeling about this one, Trent."

"That makes two of us."

"What should we do?" Katheryn posed the question all of them were already thinking. Truth be told they were all afraid of the answer to that question.

"Hello," Carlos broke the silence as he answered his ringing cell phone. "Okay. We'll be right there." Carlos crossed over to Trent and Katheryn. "Trent, that was Kim. We gotta go. Uppercuts just got a broken window with your name written on it."

Confused, Trent and Katheryn didn't hesitate, and they all arrived a few minutes later to see Butch standing at the edge of a large ring of yellow caution tape around the entrance to his bar. He was busy speaking to one of the police officers on site as he saw Carlos' Durango pull up. He finished up with the officer before addressing the others. Before he even had a chance to speak, Trent saw his name plastered on a piece of paper in Butch's hand and reached for the item. Butch let it go without question.

"Them varmints gonna pay for that window," Butch noted, a touch of a smile there that only Katheryn noticed. It was an otherwise vain effort to lighten a rather sour mood.

"What's it say?" Carlos urged, curiously peering over Trent's shoulder.

Trent scoffed. "You won't believe it."

"Try me," Katheryn nudged into the conversation without hesitation.

Trent revealed the note to the two curious onlookers. The same whitewashed shadow of fear glazed over both of their faces as they read the words.

With a slight roll of his eyes, Butch reclaimed the item from the dumbfounded trio and read aloud, "By the time you read this you will be glad to know I am taking very good care of your lady friend just as good as you took care of me. Signed…Wade Mahoney."

* * *

Trent was vehement and rightly so. Between a few swift phone calls on Carlos' end and some digging done by Sydney after a short trip across Texas, they finally confirmed what they all feared. Wade Mahoney was no longer in the company of his fellow Huntsville inmates. About three weeks ago, the infamous dealer of dirty deeds had been released from prison on a technicality. Apparently, he was somehow the least of many evils in his block up against ax murderers and psychopaths when things began to get a little crowded. Although, he was clearly in good company among such people.

Kath could only watch helplessly from the loft of Thunder Investigations as Trent paced the floor below her. She decided she couldn't bear it any longer and traced the short distance. When she laid her hand on his shoulder, she could feel his tension as he gave way. He continued walking yet away from her this time.

"Trent, we have to think this through sensibly."

Trent sighed as if almost to agree but never said as much.

"Carlos and Sydney will be here any minute now from the prison. Talk to me, Trent."

Trent finally ceased moving and turned to face Katheryn. "Don't you remember what Mahoney did to his wife Annie?"

"Yeah. I remember," Katheryn replied hesitantly, her speech faltering as images of the girl's battered face flashed in her memory.

"Every second I keep picturing that happening to Molly. It's tearing me up, Kath. I know she's not safe. At this point none of us are safe if Mahoney is determined to get his revenge."

Katheryn was able to settle her hand on Trent's shoulder this time and squeezed it. "We'll find her, Trent. You've never failed me. I have no reason to believe you'll fail Molly now. You love her, don't you?"

"Yes," Trent didn't hesitate to reply.

"Then I can't see that love failing you now."

"You're right," a hint of a smile seemed to snap Trent out of it.

As soon as Carlos and Sydney returned, Katheryn knew exactly what they had to do to determine what their next move would be.

"So, what's our next move?" Carlos piped up to ask first.

"I think Mahoney gave us a clue himself," Katheryn didn't hesitate to respond.

"What do you mean?" Trent asked.

"He said, 'I am taking very good care of your lady friend just as good as you took care of me.' So, let's try to remember everything that happened with Mahoney. And I think that will give us some clues as to where Molly is in all of this."

Trent deadpanned at Katheryn. "That doesn't bring me any warm and fuzzy feelings exactly. Or do I need to remind you what he did to you, Kath?"

"I know! I know," Katheryn sighed sharply, a line in her forehead forming as flashbacks raced across her mind. Suddenly, she felt a tingle in her palm, a reminder of the ropes she sliced away from her tied-up hands. The grogginess of waking up to the scene of her and Carlos' struggle against such a maniac sent another patch of chills throughout her. The sudden fear that she had felt when she thought Carlos was dead made her stomach turn again. "But," she snapped out of it, "We have to face the reality of it too."

The rest of the gang watch Katheryn as she began furiously searching the office.

"What are you looking for?" Carlos asked.

She came to a victorious halt as she caught a glimpse of a silver shimmer attached to the back of Kim's copy machine. "Ah-ha!" She slipped her hand behind through the narrow space and snapped off a tiny device, showing it proudly to the others before she through it on the ground and crushed it beneath her foot. "I think we'll find more of those at our apartment and maybe even the H.O.P.E. center."

While Trent and Carlos did an additionally thorough sweep of the office, Sydney approached Katheryn. "How did you know he had bugged the place?"

"Because it's the first thing we did to him. We moved in on his territory. So, this was how he chose to move in on our territory. I've got a feeling he's got some guys doing his bidding. This was his first step to figuring out our daily schedule like we did him."

"Nice work," Sydney noted before helping the guys finish the sweep.

Thankfully, no more devices were found besides the four others recovered from their apartment, the H.O.P.E. center, Butch's bar downstairs, and Trent's Corvette. After Trent realized they had bugged his car, he was even more determined to find these villains. If Wade's goal was to make them feel uncomfortable as their personal space was invaded, he succeeded beautifully. If only Katheryn had the courage to tell Trent what she thought the second clue might be, then they'd be one step closer to finding Molly before it was too late.

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_**A/N: I'm back! So happy to have penned a few more paragraphs for this story! It's been tough trying to return to my series. And I'm not promising fast updates in the future. A lot has changed in my life since I last published something on this site. And I mean A LOT! I'm proud to say I have a plot for a novel I plan to write soon. And I'm looking forward to many more happy things in my personal life. But meanwhile, I felt like continuing my series for all of you faithful readers out there. Truth be told, I wish I could start a new story from scratch and play around with an entirely new plot. But this one needs to be finished. So I'm determined not to let you folks down! I hope everyone is doing well despite the craziness in the world right now! Maybe my writing can help brighten your day. That is my hope! God bless, Kath :)**_


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